Unusual weddings

[Extended]

When I got married in my 20's (in 1977) although we had a reasonable number of guests the oldest person present (apart from the vicar and the organist) will have been under 30.

Why?

In the three years prior to getting married we lost all four parents (two in a motorway crash, one in a accident on the farm and one with cancer). Since all four were only children (unusual for all four to be surely!) there were no older relatives to attend because err, there were no older relatives.

Our wedding photos look very strange with none of the multi-generational images that we see elsewhere. It still hurts even after so many years.

DH and I got married 4 years ago yesterday and we had 10 people at our wedding.
We'd both been married before so didn't want too much fuss but I would have liked a few more people there.
I'd lost my dad the year before and my mum had been really ill and only got out of hospital the day before but managed to get there by taxi with my aunt who just happened to be visiting my mum from Ireland
DH's parents didn't go. His dad was ill and his mum didn't want to travel (it was only 1 1/2 hour away and we'd organised a car) so other than 2 of my friends, 2 of my DH's friends and my DC from 1st marriage that was it!

It must be very hard for you not having any close family there. I'm so glad my mum made it as my most cherished photo is of the two of us together which is the last photo we had taken together as she died in May this year. I miss her so much and of course my dad and feel quite lonely at times as most of my aunts and uncles have died and the only ones left are ones I don't really know as live abroad. I now have two beautiful DC with DH, aged 2.8 and 6 months (my lovely mother didn't get to meet my baby son which breaks my heart) and it makes me sad they have so little family left, ie no cousins and no grandparents on my side. DD vaguely remembers 'nannie Jennie' but I know those memories will fade.

I'm very sorry to hear you both lost your parents so young.

We had two friends as witnesses at our wedding, and no-one else. No-one thinks our wedding photos look 'weird' - we look gorgeous, glamorous and very happy!

With no living parents some of the more traditional parts of the wedding were a bit difficult!

A long-time friend from university took me up the aisle and "gave me away" and a different friend from Young Farmers did the reception speech normally done by the bride's father.

My sister was the bridemaid and her husband-to-be was the best man (not too long after I was Matron of Honour for her and DH was best man).

I lost count of the number of times people asked why there was no parental involvement. It was not nice having to explain they were all dead.

Of course no parents to pay for the wedding either.

That must have been very hard for you to have to keep explaining on your happiest day - I'm so sorry.

(Do people's parents even pay for weddings these days?)